Chapter 4

"... Why hello, Mr. Anderson, it's nice to meet you."

The speaker seemed insufferably amused with himself. "Sorry, I've wanted to say that for a while." He chuckled again.

Slowly, Mike's vision came into focus, somewhat. Before him stood a tall, clean cut man in military fatigues. Behind him there was a petite woman with the most hateful scowl Mike had ever seen, aimed directly at him. Fan-bloody-tastic.

"I don't see why you're bothering to talk to it, sir. I could be half-way through the dissection by now." Oh, isn't she a peach.

"I'm talking to Mike here - may I call you Mike? - because he shows a definite aberration in vamp behavior. Namely, he isn't a deranged, anti-social, psychopath. Are you?" The man, who Mike could now see was wearing colonel's strips, eyed him like an intriguing puzzle.

"Not since the last time I checked." His voice was hard to squeeze out, crackled and weak, the effort needed to talk made his vision go blurry again.

"Oh yeah? He certainly has plenty of Thralls, just like any other vampire!" The woman, a lieutenant, spat. What the hell is a Thrall?

"Easy now, hypno-chem therapy has shown no real tampering with their personality or memories. If anything, he's helped both girls. That waitress certainly wouldn't have survived the last two nights without him. Wait a minute. Girls?!? Lucy and Alice!

"What have you done with Lucy and Alice... If you hurt them, so help me..." Blood-starvation was obviously in advanced stages, as Mike could barely keep his vision straight or his voice audible.

"Don't worry now Mike, they're quite alright. We picked them up shortly after you, it's standard operating procedure.

"To undo the damage creatures like you do to these poor people." I am SO glad I can't make out the look on her face right about now.

"Listen, Mike, I'm just going to lay this out for you and we'll see where we'll go from there. My name is Col. Arnold Jennings and I've been put in charge of a government initiative to study and, if necessary, eliminate the vampire threat." The woman seemed to very much enjoy the recounting of that particular mission objective. "We've learned a great deal about vampire biology, but I'm afraid you seem to turn most of that on it's ear. So, I'm offering you a deal that no other vampire would get - the chance to help us."

"And in return?" This is fucking nuts!

"Well, first and foremost, you get to live. On top of that, we'll feed you all the Heme you need and you can kill all the hostiles you like."

"I'll agree, if you release Lucy and Alice immediately." Arnold said nothing, but the woman flew off the handle.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Those poor girls have been violated and manipulated by this beast, they need help! They're probably still under his control. He just wants them released so that they can help free him."

Arnold seemed completely unfazed by her tirade. "Have I introduced Doctor Evelyn Hunt? She's the vampiric-physiology expert around here." Someone's just itching to dissect me. Taking this all just a wee bit personal are we? "Now, Evelyn, total hypno-chemical therapy has shown the complete absence of residual vampiric influence. I say, let them go, those girls have been through enough."

"Great... just as soon as... I know they're... fine... I'll help you do... whatever you... want." Mike was beginning to black out.

"Excellent!" Arnold was extremely pleased with this. "Oh right, I guess you'll be needing this." Although Mike was barely aware of it, a thin tube was being fed into his mouth. Slowly, a trickle of blood began to flow down his throat.

...

Slowly, consciousness returned again. This time however, Mike had enough "Heme" in his system to appreciate it. Taking stock of his situation, he found that he was unbound and laying on a bed. The room was spartan, almost prison-like.

"What the fuck!?!" Around each wrist and ankle, he discovered a metal band, resembling those used on house-arrest inmates. A metal collar of similar construction was firmly fastened around his neck as well.

About this time, the cell door swung open and in walked Arnold and Evelyn.

"So, how are we feeling today?" Damn, I thought I'd just imagined him being so insufferably chipper.

"Just fine, if you enjoy being zapped, starved and shackled."

"Oh, so it has a sense of humor." Oh wow, definitely didn't imagine that attitude of hers either. She'd be kinda pretty without that sneer of her's.

"Well-" Mike tried to stand up, but suddenly found his limbs numb and rubbery. His train of thought was interrupted as he toppled into a heap on the ground.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention, those wrist and ankle restraints will electrically override your muscles if they detect any sudden acceleration. That'll take some getting used to."

"The shaped-charges in your collar will blow your head clear off if you step out of line too." Evelyn mentioned, not without a little glee.

Very slowly, Mike pulled himself to his feet. "So, let me get this straight. I'm to be your marionette, and should I fail, the hand grenade you've shoved up my ass will go off. I'm touched."

"Sorry, but you've got to understand, we need to take precautions. Now, if you're feeling up to it, I was hoping to take you to the lab and run some tests."

"What kind of tests?" Mike was liking this less and less by every second.

"Nothing invasive I assure you." Putting an arm around Mike's shoulder, he ushered him out the door. They were met and escorted by five, submachine gun-toting soldiers down a series of corridors. Eventually, they entered a huge, white medical lab. People in white lab coats were bustling about everywhere, but they all stopped and stared as Mike entered.

"You're a bit of a celebrity around here." Arnold stated. Evelyn snorted.

For the next few hours, Mike was subjected to virtually every medical test the doctors and technicians could think of. While most of the technicians were careful to stay as far away from Mike as possible, getting only close enough to take a blood sample or swab, then rapidly ducking away, Evelyn made every effort to jab, electrocute or otherwise harm him in some little way or another.

"I just don't get it." Arnold wondered out loud. "Mentally, he's a great screaming genius. His IQ is off the chart: memory, problem solving, learning. Physically, he's just like your average vampire, although he seems to be way more developed than most his age. Less than a week old, and he's got the powers of someone who's been a vamp for decades!"

"Maybe the records are just off and he's lying." Evelyn shot him a dark glare.

"I don't think so. I've got an idea, fire up the MRI." Twenty minutes later, Mike was using his self-control techniques to fight the claustrophobia the MRI chamber was giving him. Finally, he was out of it and greeted by a very happy Colonel.

"We've figured it out! Come. Come. Look! Look!" Arnold dragged him to the console so quickly that twice Mike's restraints reduced him to limp ragdoll for a few seconds. Eventually, he got close enough to see the monitor.

"Okay, okay! This is the average human brain. See? Nothing special." Indeed there was nothing special about the image on the screen.

"Now, here is the average vampire brain. You see these black spots? Those are the sites of neurological atrophy that form between many of the major thought centers. We believe they're some sort of developmental speed-bumps, as shortcuts through them slowly form over time and give the specimen access to greater abilities. Unfortunately, this results in the psychotic behavior they all show, certain sections of the brain - those responsible for ethical thinking and empathy in particular - just sort of atrophy away."

Just as he said, the human brain showed many black spots which slowly isolated various parts of the brain. Then, neural pathways started forming, reconnecting some parts, while others faded away for good.

"Now, we have your brain. Any history of cancer in your family?"

"Uh, yeah. My grandfather had a brain tumor."

"Exactly! And so did you. You did, in fact, die before becoming a vampire. Unlike the rest though, you went in your sleep. Even weirder still, the tumor stayed!" Sure enough, the image showed a rather large lump of neural tissue situated in the middle of the brain.

"So?" Mike asked impatiently. "Shouldn't that be fucking me up even worse than these S.O.B.'s?"

"That's the best part!" He was very excited. "The tumor is acting like some sort of sub-processor, connecting all those parts of your brain that should be drifting apart. That's why you just keep getting more powerful, you aren't hampered by the speed-bumps, it's just a matter of learning how."

"You weren't commissioned as a combat officer, where you?" Mike said, a little wryly.

"Actually, I was. But, I got a couple of degrees in biology first. Think I missed my calling?"

"Maybe. So, where's all this vampire crap come from anyways?"

"Well, that's all theory. But, we know that all vamps, are born vamps, at least potentially. Apparently it takes some serious trauma to kick-start their latent genes. Genetically, they only vary from humans by three-tenths of a percent. Where that variant DNA comes from, noone knows. The parents never show any sign of it."

"Ok, so im a freak of nature, among freaks of nature. Good to know." Mike was half-amused, half-creeped out of his skin. "So, where do we go from here?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I have NO intention of living out my days here, or with this little gizmos attached to my limbs. Sooner or later, I'll get tired of it, find a way out and bugger off on my own."

Evelyn's posture suggested that she was just about to go into another diatribe about how Mike should be eliminated immediately.

"And before you even get started." Mike said to her. "I didn't kill your fiance. So leave me be." Everyone was aghast, and shocked as to how he could have known that. "You rub that engagement ring every time vampires come up, then you start talking eradication. It doesn't take Freud to figure it out, though vampire-sharp senses do help."

"Well, Mike." Arnold started. "I'm afraid my hands are tied. As a vampire, you're a threat. We can't let you go. Best we can do is not kill you here and now." At least he's honest.

Evelyn still hadn't recovered enough from Mike's statement to speak. She just nodded along with Arnold, with a confused look on her face.

"Alright, so I'm stuck here until you guys get bored with me. Then become a pile of dust and ash. Wonderful." Mike wasn't terribly pleased with this situation.

"Yes, well, I'm sure you'll get used to it. Or maybe your status will get changed." Arnold was trying desperately to improve Mike's mood.

"Whatever. I think I'll go back to my cell now." He said, walking out of the lab and back the way he came. Only two guards tried to stop him, before backing off from Mike's fanged sneer. A few minutes, Arnold and Evelyn caught up with him.

"Come on Mike, it's no so bad." Arnold was cut off by a klaxons and flashing red lights. "Oh no, an escape!" As if on cue, a dozen armed soldiers ran past them, in the direction of the cells. Arnold and Evelyn drew their sidearms and hurried after them, while Mike had a hard time keeping up without setting off his shackles.

Gunfire had already started when Mike got there. From the looks of things, one vampire had escaped, found the trolley full of blood rations for the prisoners, and then started ripping open his neighbor's cells. Now there were seven vampires wreaking havoc amongst the soldiers, without shackles.

"Fucking aye, the psycho's are free to maim and kill, but I've got to be hobbled." Mike grumbled as he threw himself at a pouncing vampire, just before it could rip into a prone soldier. Unfortunately, Mike wasn't much more than a projectile, since his whole body when limp in midair, still, it was enough to waylay the vampire until the soldier could shot it. Oddly enough, the bullets looked red-hot as they flew and left large, smoldering holes in the vampires they struck. How's that saying go about "friendly fire, isn't"? Better not get shot by that shit.

Already, four of the vampires where dead, already starting to spontaneously combust. Unfortunately, the other three had decided to focus on the turncoat among them, namely Mike. Barely able to defend himself, without paralyzing himself, Mike could only weave and parry while the soldiers took their sweet time in shooting the vampires.

"I say we let them all thin each other out." One said.

"Yeah, twenty bucks on the one on the left." Joked another.

Finally, Arnold opened fire on one of the attacking vampires, and the rest followed his lead, killing the other two. Even then, Mike had to dive for the ground to avoid the gunfire, going totally limp and crashing into a wall in the process.

When all of the vampires had stopped smoldering and the wounded soldiers dragged off to the infirmary, Mike finally hauled himself to his feet.

"What the fuck was that!" Mike bellowed. "All these crazy fuckers are completely unshackled, but I've gotta have a leash shoved up my ass!?!"

"Well, Mike - easy now - we never planned on letting them out of the cell until the lab was ready to examine them so..." Mike cut him off.

"And what the hell were you guys waiting for? Or does it not matter if there's seven piles of ash or eight?" Pacing and shouting, Mike took a moment and calmed himself, cooling his emotions.